Crossing the Bridge:
a Senior and Slug Sendoff
by Angela Repke, Learning Specialist
The other day during Morning Energize, I walked along the boardwalk with one of our seniors. It was one of those mornings where gratitude swirled through campus because the beauty found here can make you stop in awe, even though you’ve walked the same grounds all year.
The fresh air woke up our faces, and the sun poked through the tall hemlocks. As we strolled, we both noticed something along the wooden bridge. There rested two big slugs, looking like two teens smooching on campus.
We knelt down. They stretched and oozed in all their glory. The slugs’ shadows crept largely behind them. The senior stooped down even closer and zoomed in with the camera on his phone. There he was, the official slug paparazzi, snapping photos. We paused and observed the slugs for a few minutes. I mean, there wasn’t much to observe. They were slugs, after all. But to us, that small moment to stop and breathe felt like a gift.
As we stood up to continue our walk during Morning Energize, the senior said, “Do you think we should move them? I don’t want the slugs to get stomped on.” This question may seem like a small gesture. But this is a deep hope we have at The Leelanau School–that students learn to care for each other and all living things–even slugs.
Later that day, I caught this same student showing teachers photos of our ordinary nature discovery. They smiled and asked questions about the gooey insects we had found. Despite having likely seen hundreds of slugs in their lifetime, teachers showed genuine wonder and curiosity.
I’ve taught at other high schools–schools where their mentality for seniors is to “Grab life by the horns,” “Carpe diem,” and to follow the linear path. But at The Leelanau School, we send seniors off into the world, hoping they’ve learned to pause and notice life's mundane but beautiful moments. We hope they aren’t afraid to be their quirky selves in a world full of those who just want to fit in. We desperately want our students to have a love of learning that carries them through all stages of life.
Sure, if our graduates tackle life by the horns at lightning speed, that’s great. But if they meander or take a zig-zagged journey instead while caring for those they love, that’s pretty important, too.
The Leelanau School has a magical superpower where our enchanted campus and teachers encourage students and faculty alike to pause. To breathe. To feel alive. To be fully present even, or especially, in the small moments.
We offer a loving congrats to our seniors–The Class of 2023. Our two hopes to send you off are that you continue to love those in your life and to stop and, well, notice the slugs along whatever bridge you are crossing.
